Henri Rousseau, his full name, Henri Julien Felix Rousseau was a French Painter. He was born May 21, 1844, in Laval France. He was a tax collector who loved nature

     Henri taught himself to paint.  He was considered a post-impressionist painter, with his art in a primitive style. Some art historians say he was a surrealist because his art was like a dream. He was definitely a dreamer.

     Exotic jungles captivated Henri's imagination but he never actually got to go to any jungles.  So you might ask, "How did he learn about the animals and how to paint them?" Well, Heri loved to visit the zoo!  He also liked to read and look at Children's picture books that had jungle settings with jungle animals. He would also visit the Botanical Gardens in Paris and sketch exotic plants. He taught himself by sketching, practicing, and working hard. 

    You can see his art in the Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Art. Henri died September 2, 1910, in Paris France.